Method of treating pistons, piston rings, and cylinders



Aug. 2871923.

'0. w. GERLEMAN us'rnon OF 'ram'rxua rrs'rons, ns'rou muss, AND cnmnsas Original Filed Dec. 7', 1921 Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,466,432 PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR W. GERLEMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

METHOD OF TREATING PISTONS, PISTON RINGS, AND CYLINDERS.

Original application filed December 7, 1921, Serial No. 520,537. Divided and this application filed 4 November 29, 1922. Serial No. 603,946.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR W. GERLEMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 110 South Tenth Street, St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Pistons, Piston Rings, and Cylinders, of which the following is a specification.

This is a divisional application divided out of United States patent application to Oscar W. Gcrleman, filed December 7, 1921, Serial No. 520,537 for a method of treating pistons, piston rings and cylinders.

Claims 1 and 2 of this application were held by the Examiner on November 23, 1922, in the original application to appear allowable. In the original application they were claims 6 and 7. This application is the result of the requirement of division of the Examiner in the original application in his action of November 23, 1922 in which he held Division between these two species is required.

The object of my invention is to produce a method of treating pistons, piston rings and cylinders of engines, and specially prepared piston rings.

In as much as the pressure produced by an explosion in the cylinder of an internal combustion motor varies directly with the pressure to' which the gas is compressed before it is exploded, it is highly advantageous to procure high compressions.

In a multi-cylinder engine it is also of extreme importance to have the compressions of all the cylinders equally high.

The difliculty does not exist in producing the compression, but in maintaining it after it is produced. The piston ring is designed to prevent loss of compression. In the conventional motor, this is accomplished only approximately. What actually happens is that the'compressed gases, leak by the piston ring into the crank case thereby lessening the compression and hence the power, and that since leakage varies in the different cylinders, the uniformity of compression is not maintained.

Furthermore, the oil leaks from the crank case by the piston rings, into the cylinders and combustion chamber in theconvcntional motor, causing foul plugs, the necessity of grinding valves and reboring cylinders. Likewise, the unburned gasoline from the cylinder leaks by the piston into the crank case, making the oil unfit for lubricating purposes in the conventional motor.

B y invention consists of a method of preventing compression losses, preventing the oil from leaking by the piston rings, preventing the necessity of valve grinding and carbon cleaning in the cylinders, preventing a mixture of gasoline with the oil in the crank case, without any mechanical appliance or adding any foreign matter to the gasoline or overhauling or mechanically changing the motor. This can be accomplished in the following manner: The ignition of the engine ismade. inoperative. The spark plug is removed and through the spark plug opening a small amount of pure flake graphite is inserted when the cylinder is at the beginning of its compression stroke.

process continued until the compression losses for the cylinder are reduced until the proper compression is registered on the compressometer.

Only the purest form of flake graphite can be used and only .in small amounts. If too much is used, the piston will be caused to stick or freeze to the cylinder. The amount varies with the size and condition of the cylinder and the piston rings. An average amount to be used in one cylinder is one vgrain by weight per inch of cylinder diameter. Usually one application is sufficient, but never more than three are necessary. I mean by additional applications,

the removing, of the compressometer and Within the range of temperature in such cylinders as described the graphite will act as a perfect lubricant, decreasing the cocfiicient, of friction between the cylinder wall and the piston rings and at the same that reason. An amount not to exceed one.

grain by weight per inch of cylinder diameter must be used. The process forms a. film o er the cylinder walls and the piston rings and pistons.

it will be observed that by the operations just described considerable amount of work is necessary in that the crank shaft must be manually rocked. Furthermore, unless the process is carried out properly. the piston will be moved by the exhaustport and the graphite will be blown through the exhaust port. and therefore, not become efiective in the cylinder. My improved method obviates the necessity of rocking. prevents the graphite from being blown out of the cylinder and requires only the treatment initially of the piston ring. In the manufacture of gasoline engines, my improved device finds its largest application; but even in the repair of cylinders and pistons and piston rings in the ordinary sense my method becomes highly etiicicnt when the original conventional piston rings are of necessity removed.

With these and other objects in view, my invention has relation to certain novel features of construction, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described. pointed out in the claims and illustraded in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a fragmental sectional elevation of the cylinders, pistons, piston rods and crank shaft of a conventional motor.

Fig. 2 represents piston ring that is to operation.

Numeral V and numerals 6, 7, 8 and 9 represent conventional cylinders respectively. Numerals 10, 11, 12 and 13 represent pistons in operative position in the cylinders 6 to 9 both inclusive respectively. Numeral 1d designates a crank shaft to which are secured in the conventional manner the pistons 10 to a cross-section of my be used in my present 5 designates the engine frame incense 13 both inclusive respectively by means oi" the piston rods 15 to l8 both inclusive.

Numeral 19 designates a conventional pressure registration means such as a compressomcter which may be secured in threaded engagement in the spark plu opening. My method consists in treating he piston rings and then placing them ,on the pistons in operative position, and then by operating the pistons and therefore, the piston rings in the conventional manner distributing flake graphite to the cylinder walls and to the operative piston IHHYS surface. and 11 are provided with my piston rings shown in Fig. 2. My piston ring is dipped in viscous paste made up of pure tlake graphite and a. binder such as arafiin or castor oil. The binder used in t is viscous paste must be highly combustible and must have a low melting point. l have found that paratlin and castor oil can each be used ve r successfully. When the ring is positione on the piston in the cylinder and the cylinder is moved by the engines own power, the heat generated melts the binder holding the graphite in suspension and the movement of the piston ring distributes the graphite equally over-the remainder of the external surface of the piston and cylinder walls. The heat generated is sufficient to burn out the binchzr which is emitted as a vapor or smoke. By this means the piston rings can be easily handled and nothing need be done to the cylinders or to the engine when the proper ring is placed in position. No skilled operation is necessary and the result will be perfect if the chemical composition of the binder is correct, i. e. to say it the proper amount of pure flake graphite is held in suspension in it. and if the binder melts at a reasonably low melting point and if it will combust Within the range of operative cylinder temperatures. The ring ma dipped in the viscous paste so as to o tain the required thickness. l have shown the paste in stippled .section.

What I claim and .rnean to secure by lheh ters Patent is 1. As an article of manufacture, a iston ring having the lateral surface coate with graphite held in suspension by a binder. I

2. As an article of manufacture, a piston ring coated with pure flake phitelield in suspension in castor oil.

lln testimony whereof I st ureose -n W. enntnnan Pistons 1O 

